15:00 | Sandia (Puno region), Apr. 22.
Many people think
coffee producer Vicentina Phocco has a secret technique to produce the best coffee in the world, but like the wolf that howls at night, she works, plants, and harvests under full moon. Besides, she believes in organic and natural methods.
Sandia Province is located 4 hours and a half away from Southern Andean Puno City, near the border with Bolivia.
It is a coffee-producing region that has won an award at every international fair where it has been in competition.
However, the place also faces uncertainty, lack of required conditions, and fierce weather.
It must be noted the high-quality coffee cultivated in Sandia is recognized at an international level.
A coffee, a family
Coffee producer Vicentina Phocco used to be a housewife and her husband eventually worked in a mine before their foray into coffee cultivation.
According to Phocco, her husband Pablo Mamani earned barely enough to survive, so they decided to change course and step in coffee cultivation in their land located in Alto Inambari district of Sandia Province (Puno region).
"We took over the business from my father-in-law. My husband didn't like working on a farm, but little by little he got used to it, and then we started to cultivate coffee with the United Nations' support," Phocco stated.
This is how they started planting coffee with the idea of becoming one of the best producers.
About the coffee
According to the Puno-based coffee producer, coffee is cultivated in 3 hectares and harvested under full moon.
These two institutions provided technical assistance during the cultivation process and helped with the equipping of post-harvest modules to enhance coffee quality in Sandia Province's valleys.
Published: 4/22/2019